Columbia High School (Georgia)
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| Columbia High School | |
|---|---|
Columbia High School | |
| Address | |
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2106 Columbia Dr. Decatur, Georgia , , 30032 United States | |
| Information | |
| School type | Magnet School & Public High School |
| Status | Open |
| School district | DeKalb County Public Schools |
| Principal | Uras C. Agee |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,300 |
| Language | English |
| Color(s) | Orange and Blue |
| Sports | Basketball, Baseball, Cheerleading, Cross-Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tigerettes, Volleyball, Weightlifting, Wrestling, and Marching Band |
| Nickname | Eagles |
| Feeder schools | Columbia Middle School |
| Website | [2] |
Columbia High School (CHS) is a four-year public high school located in Decatur, Georgia that opened in 1966. The schools motto is "Students are our Business". In 1992, the Mathematics, Science and Technology Magnet Programs was established at Columbia, which gave students in the Metro Atlanta area an opportunity to have a more focused based education in the Math, Science and Technology areas.
Columbia High School neighbors Southwest Dekalb High School, Towers High School and McNair High School. The school's mascot is the Eagles and the colors are orange and blue. The school was given the Georgia School of Excellence award in 1996. Extra curricular activities at the school include Athletics, Band, Color Guard, Future Business Leaders of America, Beta Club, JROTC program.
Sports
Boys Basketball
Columbia High School is considered a national powerhouse for High School Basketball. The boys basketball team has went to the state championship every year since 2005 and has won four of those state championship games; They are the first team in the history of Dekalb County to win four state basketball championships.
State Champions: 2005-2006 (AAAA State Champion), 2007-2008 (AAAA State Champion), 2009-2010 (AAA State Champion), 2010-2011 (AAA State Champion).
Region Champions: 2005-2006 (Region 5-AAAA), 2006-2007 (Region 6-AAAA), 2007-2008 (Region 6-AAAA), 2008-2009 (5-AAA), 2009-2010 (5-AAA), 2010-2011 (5-AAA).
In the 2009-2010 season, the girls and boys won the AAA State champions in 2009-2010. They were the sixth team in the history of Georgia High School basketball to accomplish this feat. As of March 2011
The boys basketball team has been coached by Dr. Phil McCrary since 1987. As of Feb 2011, he has posted a 502-183 record. He won his 500th career game at the Primetime Shootout in W. Virginia on January 21, 2011 against Jamesville-Dewitt, NY high school.[1] Coach McCrary has sent more than 100 student athletes to Division I basketball programs. Coach McCrary has received numerous coaching accolades including:
- 2010 Georgia Naismith Coach of the Year Award.[2]
- Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AAAA Coach of the Year Award - 1990, 2006, 2008, 2010
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution Coach of The Year - 1990, 2006, 2008, 2010
- Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Coach of The Year - 2006, 2010
Girls Basketball
The Girls Basketball team won their first ever state championship in 2010. The 2010 season also marked the first time for a DeKalb County school to win both a boys' and a girls' title in the same season as Columbia swept the Class AAA titles.
Girls Track
The Girls Track team has won three state championships in 1983, 1995 and 1996. One of the highlights of the girls track program is in the form of Olympic Gold Medalist Gwen Torrence. She was the state champion in the 100 and 200 meters between 1980-1983 while running for Columbia.
Boys Track
The Boys track team has won two state championships. In 1980 and again in 1983.
Wrestling
Columbia High School has won five state championships in wrestling. In 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977 (all under coach Michael J. Godlewski) and 1988. Columbia has won 26 individual state titles as of March 2011. The wrestling team has finished in the top 10 in the state 19 times.[3]
Notable alumni
- Gwen Torrence, USA Track & Field. Gold Medalist in the 1992 Summer Olympics & 1996 Summer Olympics.
- Lil LA, member from the rap group Trillville.
- Chris Tucker, Actor & Comedian.
- B.o.B (Bobby Ray Simmons), Grammy nominated hip-hop artist.
- Kendall Newson, Former NFL Wide Receiver for the Miami Dolphins.
- Gary Limuti, Commerical artist and muralist; rock guitarist
- Barry Root, Children's book illustrator and jazz bass player
- Tom Root, Portrait painter and art instructor, Folk guitarist
- Larry Jackson, Jazz saxophone player with Aretha Franklin and Bill Watrous
- Robert Wayne, Stage actor and tenor, Atlanta attorney
- Mark David Chapman, Murderer of John Lennon of The Beatles
- Terrance L. Campbell, Film actor
- Omar J Dorsey, Film actor
- Zerbin Singleton, Aerospace engineer, US Naval Academy graduate, Navy football blocking back
- Jershon Cobb, Northwestern University basketball shooting guard
- Mike Vosbein, Jazz drummer
- Rex Smith, Atlanta singer and stage actor
Notable teachers
- George Pugh, Georgia State's first football assistant head coach
- Madison D. Short, Jr., Music educator
References
- ^ Atlanta Journal & Constitution Online, http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-high-school-sports/2011/01/26/columbia-high-basketball-coach-wins-500-games-changes-lives/, January 26, 2011
- ^ Naismithawards.com, http://www.naismithawards.com/PressBox/03222010MetroAtlantaWinners.aspx, March 16, 2010
- ^ [1], DeKalb County Public Schools, 2011